U.S. adults’ health worst of 11 developed countries
BUSINESS RECORD STAFF Nov 18, 2016 | 4:16 pm
1 min read time
278 wordsAll Latest News, Health and WellnessA survey of adults in 11 countries found that American respondents reported poor health compared with their counterparts in other countries.
A new study by Health Affairs found that 28 percent of U.S. adults reported having at least two chronic health conditions, a higher percentage than in any other country surveyed. Americans also were more likely to say they worried about having enough money to buy nutritious meals (15 percent) and to pay for housing (16 percent).
The survey, part of an annual series conducted by the Commonwealth Fund since 1998, examined the health and health care experiences of adults in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Forty-three percent of low-income adults in the United States reported cost barriers to health care, the highest rate in any country. Rates in other countries ranged from 8 percent in the United Kingdom to 31 percent in Switzerland. The U.K. was the only country where low-income adults were not significantly more likely than the rest of the population to report cost-related problems.
“Adults reported not getting needed care, experiencing gaps in care coordination, and missed opportunities for their engagement in preventive care and chronic care self-management,” according to the report. “Adults who are most vulnerable because of very low incomes and poor health often have greater difficulty accessing care — and when they do get care, they often have more negative experiences than the rest of the population.”
The results suggest that the health care systems of these industrialized countries often fall short of their goals of providing health care that is accessible, affordable and of high quality, according to the report.
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